Alumni to appear on ‘America’s Got Talent’

Yale alumni will take the stage in the next round of the popular NBC talent show “America’s Got Talent.”

Last week, the Connecticut-based group 3Penny Chorus and Orchestra, led by Arianne Abela MUS ’10 and University of Hartford Hartt School graduate Colin Britt, advanced to the show’s second round after their performance garnered the praise of all four judges. For their audition, the group performed an orchestral version of Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit song “Call Me Maybe.” After the performance, which incited a prolonged applause from the audience and the judges alike, Abela said she and Britt chose the song because it was “stuck in both [their] heads the entire summer.”

On the show, Abela explained that 3Penny Chorus and Orchestra consists entirely of volunteers, adding that the group includes “all sorts of people,” including dentists, designers, retired teachers and future priests.

The next round of auditions will be held in Las Vegas and will determine which performances advance to the live show.